KR20180096493A - Acoustic signal transmission contact medium and coupling medium - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for use in tomographic imaging, ultrasound imaging of large apertures, and therapeutic ultrasound, which provides coupling of a sound signal converter to a body structure to transmit and receive acoustic signals is disclosed . The acoustic signal transmission contact medium may be adapted to the receiving medium (e.g., skin) of the object so that acoustic impedance matching between the receiving medium and the transducer is achieved. In one embodiment, the acoustic coupling medium comprises a hydrogel comprising a polymerizable material forming a structured network to capture an aqueous fluid inside the hydrogel. The hydrogel is structured to be adapted to the receiving body and the acoustic coupling medium is configured such that there is an acoustic impedance match between the receiving medium and the acoustic signal transducer element and when the hydrogel is in contact with the receiving body, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > a < / RTI >

Description

Acoustic signal transmission contact medium and coupling medium

Cross-reference to related application

This patent application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 120,839, filed February 25, 2015, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 174,999, filed June 12, 2015. The entire contents of the aforementioned patent applications are incorporated by reference as part of the disclosure of this document.

This patent document relates to systems, apparatus, and processes for acoustic energy diagnosis and treatment.

Acoustic imaging is an imaging aspect that utilizes the nature of the sound waves traveling through the medium to provide a visual image. High frequency acoustic imaging has been used as a imaging aspect for decades in various biomedical fields to observe the internal structure and function of animals and humans. The high frequency sound waves used in biomedical imaging can be operated at different frequencies, for example 1 to 20 MHz, or higher, and are often referred to as ultrasound. Due to several factors, including inadequate spatial resolution and tissue differentiation, the desired image quality may not be achieved using conventional ultrasound imaging techniques, which may limit its use in many clinical indications or applications .

Systems, and devices for coupling acoustic signal transducers to body structures to transmit and receive acoustic signals in ultrasound imaging, range-Doppler measurements, and therapy.

In one aspect, a contact medium apparatus of the disclosed technique for transferring acoustic energy between a transducer and a target includes a housing body, including a housing body (e.g., a semicircular or circular portion that exposes transducer elements of the array on a curved surface) A housing body configured to provide an array of transducer elements on a curved section (e.g., a curved lip) of the transducer element; And an acoustic coupling component comprising a hydrogel material (e.g., which may be at least partially contained within the outer lining). The acoustic coupling component is operated such that the acoustic coupling signal can be adapted to the target volume such that there is an acoustic impedance match (e.g., very low attenuation) between the receiving medium and the transducer element, And can propagate between the placed transducer element and the receiving medium in contact with the acoustic coupling component (e.g., the skin of the subject) to propagate the acoustic signal toward the target volume.

The subject matter described in this patent document and the appended claims can be embodied in a specific manner that provides one or more of the following features. For example, the contact media device may further comprise a flexible bracket coupled to and movable relative to the housing body, wherein the flexible bracket secures the acoustic coupling component to such a device. For example, the target volume comprises a biological construct (e.g., an organ or tissue) of the subject, and the receiving medium includes the skin of the subject. In an embodiment of the contact media device, for example, the receiving medium may comprise hair on the skin's outer side.

Figure 1A shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary acoustic contact media device of the disclosed technique.
1B shows a three-dimensional view of the acoustic contact medium device of the disclosed technique.
1C shows another three-dimensional view of the acoustic contact medium device of the disclosed technique.
2A shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary acoustic coupler of the disclosed technique attached to an exemplary flexible bracket for interfacing to an array of transducing elements.
Figure 2B shows a three-dimensional schematic view of an acoustic coupler attached to a flexible bracket according to an exemplary embodiment.
Figure 2c shows a two-dimensional side schematic view of an acoustic coupler attached to a flexible bracket according to an exemplary embodiment.
2D illustrates a cross sectional area schematic of an acoustic coupler interfaced with a transducer element in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
Figure 3a shows a top schematic view of an acoustic contact medium device of the disclosed technique for providing a fully circular ring array of transducer elements.
Figure 3b shows a three-dimensional schematic of the disclosed acoustic contact media device for providing a fully circular ring array of transducer elements.
4 shows a block diagram of an exemplary acoustical imaging and / or treatment system of the disclosed technique.
5A shows an exemplary embodiment of an acoustic coupling medium.
Figure 5B shows another exemplary embodiment of the acoustic coupling medium.
Figure 5c shows another exemplary embodiment of the acoustic coupling medium.
5D shows another exemplary embodiment of the acoustic coupling medium.
5E shows another exemplary embodiment of the acoustic coupling medium.
5f shows another exemplary embodiment of the acoustic coupling medium.
Figure 5g shows another exemplary embodiment of the acoustic coupling medium.
Figure 6 shows a schematic view of an exemplary acoustic coupling medium formed in various shapes, sizes, and configurations.
7A shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an acoustic coupling medium having attachment components.
7B shows a front and side schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of an acoustic coupling medium having attachment components.
Figure 7c shows another schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of an acoustic coupling medium having a tubular curved shape.
8 illustrates a set of operations that may be performed to generate an acoustic waveform using an acoustic impedance matched contact medium according to an exemplary embodiment.

Acoustic imaging can be performed by emitting acoustic waves (e. G., Pulses) in a physical elastic medium, such as a biological medium containing tissue. The acoustic waveform is transmitted from the transducer element (e.g., of the array of transducer elements) towards the target volume of interest (VOI). Propagation of the acoustic waveform in the medium towards the target volume may be encountered with the structure and such structure may be such that the acoustic waveform is partially reflected from the boundary between two media (e.g., different biological tissue structures) do. The reflection of the transmitted acoustic waveform may depend on the acoustic impedance difference between the two media (e.g., at the interface between two different biological tissue types). For example, some of the acoustic energy of the transmitted acoustic waveform may be received back scattered from the interface to the transducer and processed for information extraction while the remainder may continue to be moved to the next medium. In some cases, the scattering of the reflections can occur as a result of two or more impedances included in the reflective medium acting as the scattering center. Additionally, acoustic energy may be refracted, diffracted, delayed, and / or attenuated based on, for example, the nature of the medium and / or the characteristics of the acoustic wave.

The acoustic wave speed and acoustic impedance difference can be present at the interface between the transducer and the medium for receiving the acoustic waveform for propagation of the acoustic waveform towards the target volume, for example, referred to as the receiving medium, Range-Doppler measurements, or transmission of acoustic signals for therapeutic applications. The acoustic impedance difference is caused by the different material properties (e.g., material density) and acoustic wave velocity of the two media, so that a significant amount of the emitted acoustic energy will not be transmitted across the interface and will be reflected at the interface . In a typical acoustic (e.g., ultrasound) imaging or therapeutic application, for example, the transmission of the acoustic waveform (s) from the transducer to the body and the reception of the acoustic waveform (s) To improve, a transfer gel is applied to the receiving medium (e.g., the skin of the subject) at the interface with which the transducer will be contacted. In such an application where there is no ultrasonic gel, the interface may include air as a component of the medium between the receiving medium (e. G., Living skin tissue) and the transducer, and the transducer-to-air and air- Acoustic impedance mismatch within the discontinuity causes scattering (e. G., Reflection) of the emitted acoustic energy.

Despite the relatively good success in reducing the acoustic impedance difference at the interface, when applied, the acoustic transmission gel may contain small packets of air that may interfere with the transmission of acoustic signals. Additionally, many patients complain about inconveniences associated with the use of gels applied to the patient ' s skin, such as, for example, temperature, tackiness, or the like. However, what is more interesting is that the acoustic transmission gel can become contaminated during production and storage, which causes infection in some patients. In the case of a subject having hair on the patient's skin at the location where the transducer is placed, such an object should typically be shaved or otherwise removed from external hair which exacerbates air trapping between the skin and the gel.

In the case of non-normal incidence angles of the acoustic waves on the interface, the difference in acoustic wave speeds may result in refraction of the acoustic sound waves. The acoustic wave speed difference at the interface refracts or changes the propagation path of the longitudinal acoustic wave in accordance with Snell's law, which is a function of the incident wave angle and the acoustic wave speed at both sides of the interface. Accumulation of minute amounts of deflection as waves propagate in heterogeneous materials lead to bending or bending of the path of acoustic waves.

Because conventional ultrasonic imaging assumes that the acoustic waves are moved in a straight line, refraction along the acoustic path is the result of the ambiguity that such refraction creates for the arrival time and position of the acoustic waveform in space in both transmission and reception Resulting in image degradation and distortion. The material matched to the acoustic wave speed at the interface significantly reduces the effects of refraction, resulting in a sharper, less obscure image. Additionally, a material having a uniform acoustic wave velocity throughout will minimize the possibility of bending the acoustic wave path inside the material.

Systems, and devices for coupling acoustic signal transducers to body structures to transmit and receive acoustic signals in ultrasound imaging, range-Doppler measurements, and therapy. The disclosed acoustic signal transmission contact medium may be adapted to a receiving medium (e.g., skin) of an object so that acoustic impedance matching between the receiving medium and the transducer is achieved.

It also includes a hydrogel formed from one or more polymerizable materials and is capable of being conformed or molded to a specific three dimensional shape for use in tomographic imaging, ultrasound imaging of large apertures, and therapeutic ultrasound, ≪ / RTI >

In one embodiment, the contact media apparatus of the disclosed technique for transferring acoustic energy between a transducer and a target comprises a housing body including a curved surface on which an array of transducer elements can be disposed; And an acoustic coupling component comprising a hydrogel material such that the acoustic coupling component is adaptable to the receiving medium so that there is an acoustic impedance match between the receiving medium and the transducer element, (E. G., The subject's skin) in contact with the acoustic coupling component to propagate the acoustic signal toward the target volume and the transducer element disposed within the housing body. In some embodiments, the contact media device may further include a flexible bracket coupled to and movable relative to the housing body, wherein the flexible bracket secures the acoustically-coupled component to such a device. For example, the target volume comprises a biological construct (e.g., an organ or tissue) of the subject, and the receiving medium includes the skin of the subject. In an embodiment of the contact media device, for example, the receiving medium may comprise hair on the skin's outer side.

FIG. 1A shows a two-dimensional side schematic view of an acoustic contact medium device 100 of the disclosed technique, and FIGS. 1B and 1C show a three-dimensional view. The contact medium apparatus 100 includes a housing structure 101 for containing and arranging transducers for transmitting and receiving acoustic signals to and from a mass to which the acoustic contact medium apparatus 100 is applied. The housing structure 101 includes a curved section in which the transducer elements 110 of the acoustic transducer and / or receiving transducer array are disposed, for example, as shown in Fig. 1C. The curved sections of the housing structure 101 may be configured with various sizes and / or curvatures cut to fit a particular body area or area to which the contact media device 100 is applied in acoustical imaging, measurement, and / . For example, imaging the following structures or applying ultrasound therapy to target volumes within such structures, such as spleen masses, carcinomas or noncancerous tumors, legions, sprains, tears, bone contours and other signs of damage or disease Anatomical structures such as the breast, arm, leg, neck, throat, knee, hip, ankle, waist, shoulder, or other areas of interest on human or animal (e.g. dog) The length, depth, and arc of the curved section of the housing structure 101 can be configured to be fully contacted. For example, the curved section of the housing structure 101 may have an opening length in the range of a few centimeters to a few tens or hundreds of centimeters (e.g., an 18 cm baseline as shown in FIG. 1A), a few centimeters to tens or hundreds of centimeters Aperture depth of the range, and an arc or curvature of 1 / (0.5 or a few centimeters) to 1 / (several tens or hundreds of centimeters), for example from 1 / 0.5 cm ^-1 to 1/18 cm ^-1 . The contact media device 100 includes an acoustic coupler 105 attached to the housing structure 101 such that the acoustic coupler 105 is in contact with the external surface area of the transducer element 110 disposed within the housing structure 101. [

For example, by molding the hydrogel material against a curved section of the housing structure 101 to directly couple the acoustic coupler 105 and the transducer element 110 at the interface, May be attached to the structure (101). In such an embodiment, the housing structure 101 may include a locking mechanism (e.g., a clip, etc.) at various locations of the curved section to secure the molded acoustic coupler 105 to the housing structure 101 And such a securing mechanism is located on the housing structure 101 at a location remote from the transducer element 110 so as not to interfere with the acoustic signal propagation transmitted and received by the transducer element. Additionally or alternatively, for example, the housing structure 101 and / or the acoustic coupler 105 may include an adhesive portion (not shown) for attaching the molded acoustic coupler 105 to the curved section of the housing structure 101 . ≪ / RTI > In some embodiments, for example, the adhesive portion may be configured as an adhesive layer attached to the receiving surface of the curved section of the housing structure 101 and / or the outer portion of the acoustic coupler 105. In some embodiments, for example, the adhesive portion includes a pre-treatment (such as application of a low pH solution) of the outer portion area of the hydrogel material of the acoustic coupler 105, You can make them enemies.

In some implementations, the acoustic coupler 105 includes a transducer element 110 and a receiver medium 110, in which the contact medium device 100 is disposed in contact with the acoustic medium to transmit and receive acoustic signals propagating towards and from the target volume of interest of interest. (E. G., A body region or a portion of an object, e. G., A central section, head, or an ancillary portion of the object). The acoustic coupler 105 may be adapted to the receiving medium to provide acoustic impedance matching between the transducer element and the receiving medium (e.g., the skin of the subject, including the body hair protruding from the skin).

The hydrogel material may be configured to have a thickness selected based on the size of the receiving body of the object or the object of acoustic imaging, measurement, or therapeutic application. 1a shows acoustic coupler 105 having various thicknesses L1, L2, L3, and L4 for the dimensions of a curved section of the housing structure 101. The acoustic coupler 105 is shown in Fig. For example, in some embodiments, the L1 thickness may be 4 cm, the L2 thickness may be 6 cm, the L3 thickness may be 8 cm, the L4 thickness may be 10 cm, Lt; / RTI > includes a semicircular geometry of a 12 cm radius. In some implementations, for example, the hydrogel material of acoustic coupler 105 may comprise polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). In some embodiments, for example, the hydrogel material may comprise a polyacrylamide (PAA), which may include an alginate. In some embodiments, for example, the acoustic coupler 105 may include an outer lining to encapsulate at least a portion of the hydrogel. An exemplary outer lining can be formed over the area of the hydrogel that contacts the housing structure 101. In some embodiments, for example, an exemplary outer lining can be configured to fully encapsulate the hydrogel material to create a pad. The hydrogels can be bent, stretched and conformed to the surface of any complex geometry, and can effectively (e.g., ultrasonically wave) an acoustic waveform into the tissue of a subject, including, for example, a human or any other animal Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > impedance < / RTI > path. For example, the hydrogel includes a material structure that allows acoustic signal propagation at 20 ° C with an attenuation factor of 0.1 dB / MHz ²揃 cm or less, an impedance of 1.5 MRayls or less, and a longitudinal sound velocity of 1540 m / s can do. The acoustic coupler 105 is designed to have a percent elongation of greater than 1000%, a density of 1.00 g / cm ³ ± 0.05 g / cm ³ , a shear modulus of 1 MPa, and melting and freezing points of 70 ° C. and -5 ° C., respectively. For example, the hydrogel material may be at least 95% water, and may have a pH of ~ 7.0.

In some embodiments of the acoustic coupler 105, one side of the hydrogel and / or outer lining, for example, may be formed on one side of the transducer surface to prevent air or other material from being trapped when the contact medium device 100 is applied. The transducer element 110 is configured to have an adhesive surface in contact with the transducer element 110 to facilitate adhesion to the transducer element.

In some embodiments of the contact media device 100, for example, the housing structure 101 includes a flexible bracket 102 attached to a curved section of the housing structure 101 body. In some embodiments, for example, the acoustic coupler 105 may be molded into the flexible bracket 102, such flexible bracket may be coupled to the acoustic coupler 105, (E. G., Glued) to the flexible bracket 102 in a portion thereof. The flexible bracket 102 is structured to flex so that it can conform to the surrounding receiving body. For example, the flexible brackets 102 may include, for example, but not limited to, flexible materials including ABS plastic, polyurethane, nylon, and / or acetyl copolymers. 2A to 2D show a schematic view of an acoustic coupler 105 attached to a flexible bracket 102. Fig.

2A shows a three-dimensional schematic view of an acoustic coupler 105 attached to a flexible bracket 102. Fig. The flexible bracket 102 may be structured to include a base component 112 for attaching to the end of the acoustic coupler 105. For example, the base component 112 may include a clip for securing and / or attaching the acoustic coupler 105. In some embodiments, for example, the flexible bracket 102 is configured to have a size and curvature that spans the curvilinear section of the housing structure 101, and the flexible bracket 102 is configured to have a One or more archery elements 113 disposed at one or more respective locations on the base component 112 at a location remote from where the transducer elements 110 are disposed when attached. The flexible bracket 102 is structured to have a pattern of notches 114 on one side of the arcuate component (s) 113, so that the flexible bracket 102 can be bent easily without breaking. . On the other side of the arcuate component (s) 113, the flexible bracket 102 may include a shaved lip that has a chamfer thereon, and when bent into the shape of the array or pressed into position, The resulting lip is bent over the lip on the curved section of the housing structure 101 and fixes the flexible bracket 102 and thereby the acoustic coupler 105 in place. For example, the acoustic coupler 105 may be molded or bonded into the flexible bracket 102 when cross-linking of the hydrogel occurs. In some embodiments, for example, the hydrogel of acoustic coupler 105 may also be molded, for example, on the object-facing side to smooth or curl the edges, It is possible to easily make contact and separation. 2B shows a three-dimensional schematic view of the acoustic coupler 105 attached to the flexible bracket 102 and FIG. 2C shows a two-dimensional side schematic view of the acoustic coupler 105 attached to the flexible bracket 102 Respectively.

2D shows a cross sectional area schematic of acoustic coupler 105 interfaced with transducer element 110 and attached to housing structure 101 via a flexible bracket 102. Fig. As shown in this figure, the acoustic coupler 105 is directly adapted on the transducer element 110 side. In this example, the acoustic coupler 105 is affixed to the clip component of the flexible bracket 102 by an adhesive on the outer surface of the clip, and is attached to the outer lining of the acoustic coupler 105 and / Adhesive region '. A clip is attached around the lip of the housing body 101 to provide direct contact between the acoustic coupler 105 and the surface of the transducer element 110. As shown in the figure, transducer element 110 includes a transducer acoustic backing portion that interfaces with an electrical communication element for conversion from electrical to acoustic energy / acoustic energy to electrical path.

In some implementations of the contact media device 100, for example, the surface of the acoustic coupler 105 in contact with the object may be lubricated, so that the acoustic coupler does not capture bubbles , It can be easily slipped on the skin. An example of such lubrication may include treating the side of the hydrogel material that is in contact with the object with degassed water and / or deionized water to render the corresponding portion of the hydrogel material highly lubricated.

1A-1C, the housing structure 101 is configured to allow the user to maintain the contact media device 100 for acoustic measurement or therapy and / or to move the contact media device 100 to a receiving body (E.g., torso, head, accessory portion, etc.) of the subject (e.g., the torso, head, accessory portion, etc.) of the subject. The housing structure 101 includes a housing structure 101 that provides access to the interior of the housing structure 101 (e.g., including the interior components) where the electronic components, including the transducer elements of the transducer array, The openings may be located at various locations on the exterior of the housing. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, an electrical cable or wire may be electrically connected to electronic equipment housed within the housing structure 101 for data communication and / or power supply. For example, the housing structure 101 may include a signal conditioning and / or multiplexing network, e.g., L0 converter electronics, L1 A converter electronics and a multiplexing network (e.g., a multiplexing board Type A), L1 B converter electronics and multiplexing network (e.g., multiplexing board type B), and / or L2 converter level 2 MUX rigid flexible circuit cards and flex mezzanine boards And a compartment for securing the battery. In some embodiments, for example, the contact media device 110 is housed within an interior compartment of the housing structure 101 and communicates with the transducer element 110 to transmit one or more transducer elements 110 ) And selecting one or more transducer elements (110) of the array to receive the returning acoustic waveform. In some implementations of the contact media device, for example, the device 100 includes a signal conditioning network for amplifying the electrical signal converted from the returned acoustic signal and / or the electrical signal to be converted into the transmitted acoustic signal , A data processing unit included in the compartment in the housing structure (101). In some embodiments of the exemplary data processing unit, for example, the data processing unit is configured to transmit data and to receive data from the acoustic imaging and / or treatment system to control the operation of the data processing unit of the device 100 A processor and a memory for respectively processing and storing data, which are capable of communicating with an input / output (I / O) unit to interface to receive data. In some implementations, for example, the data processing unit communicates with an exemplary multiplexing unit.

1C showing the flexible bracket 102 attached to the transducer housing structure 101 without the presently attached acoustic coupler 105, the transducer element 110 has a curved shape of the housing structure 101, And may be arranged in a semicircular configuration that spans at least a portion of the section. The array of transducer elements 110 is on a curved geometry of this section of the housing structure 101 in direct contact with the acoustic coupler 105 to transmit and receive acoustic signals. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the transducer element 110 is disposed on the lip of the curved section of the housing structure 101. Based on the flexibility, elongation, and compliance of the acoustic coupler 105, the acoustic coupler 105 is configured to receive the transducer element 100 when the contact medium device is disposed and moved along the body structure of the object during application of the contact medium device 100. [ (Not shown). For example, the transducer element 110 is arranged on a curved section (e.g., a semicircular ring, or a complete circular ring, etc.) of the housing structure 101. The flexible bracket 102 may include a clip for attaching to the rib 111 of the curved section. In some embodiments, for example, the flexible bracket 102 also includes an acoustic coupler 105 (not shown) that provides direct contact of the acoustic coupler 105 onto the surface of the transducer element 110 of the housing structure 101 ) To the flexible bracket (102).

Figures 3a and 3b show top and schematic three-dimensional schematics, respectively, of an acoustical contact media device 300 of the disclosed technique for providing a fully circular array of transducer elements 110. The contact media device 300 includes a housing structure 301 having a circular section for containing and disposing a transducer element 110 for transmitting and receiving acoustic signals to and from a mass to which the acoustic contact medium device 300 is applied, . For example, the circular section of the housing structure 301 may include a circular geometry, an elliptical geometry, or other curved geometry. The circular section of the housing structure 301 may be configured with various sizes and / or curvatures cut to fit a particular body area or portion to which the contact media device 300 is applied in an acoustic imaging, measurement, and / . For example, the length, depth, and geometric shape of the circular section of the housing structure 301 may be determined by a human or animal (e. G., A dog) May be configured to be in perfect contact with, for example, a complete surrounding or an area of interest, such as an anatomical structure of the subject, e.g., a breast. The contact media device 300 includes an acoustic coupler 105 attached to the housing structure 301 so that the acoustic coupler 105 is in contact with the external surface area of the transducer element 110 disposed within the circular section of the housing structure 301 .

The contact media device 300 includes a flexible bracket 302 for attaching to the circular section of the housing structure 301 body to connect the acoustic coupler 105 to the transducer element 110 housed within the housing structure 301 . In some embodiments, for example, the acoustic coupler 105 includes an acoustic coupler 105 (not shown) that is adhesively attached to the flexible bracket 302 at a portion of the acoustic coupler 105 remote from the acoustic signal propagation, May also be molded into the flexible bracket 302, which may also include a < / RTI >

FIG. 4 illustrates acoustic imaging, range-Doppler measurements, and acoustic imaging of acoustic energy for a target volume within a receiving body (e.g., an anatomical structure of a human or non-human animal subject) to which the contacting medium device 100 is applied ≪ / RTI > FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an acoustic imaging system 400 in communication with an acoustic contact-me- ser device 100 for therapeutic applications. Examples of acoustic systems, apparatus, and methods for acoustic imaging, range-Doppler measurement, and treatment are described in US patent application Ser. Nos. Entitled Spread Spectrum Coded Waveform in Ultrasound Imaging U.S. Patent No. 8,939,909 entitled " Waveforms in Ultrasound Imaging ", and U.S. Patent No. 6,402,603 entitled " Coherent Spread-Spectrum Coded Waveforms in Synthetic Aperture Image Formation & And is described in Application Publication No. 2015/0080725. In some implementations, such an acoustic system may generate, transmit, receive, and process any or a coded acoustic waveform that produces a large composite aperture. For example, coherent, spread-spectrum, instant-broadband, coded waveforms can be generated using such acoustic systems in synthetic aperture acoustic wave (SAU) applications, for example using the disclosed acoustic coupling media .

Referring to FIG. 4, the system 400 may include the systems and / or devices described in the '909 patent and the' 725 patent publication. The system 400 may be used to generate an acoustic waveform converted by the device 100 (or device 300) for transmission toward a target volume (and reception of a returned acoustic waveform) Has improved waveform characteristics including spread-spectrum, optical instantaneous-bandwidth, coherence, pseudo-random noise characteristics, and frequency- and / or phase-coding. In some implementations, the system 400 may utilize the device 100 (or device 300) for transmission over a target effective volume (and reception of a returned acoustic waveform) And acoustic waveforms may have improved waveform properties including spread-spectrum, optical instantaneous bandwidth, coherence, pseudo-random noise characteristics, and coding.

Yes

The following examples illustrate some embodiments of the present technique. Other exemplary embodiments of the present technique may be provided prior to, or after, the following listed examples.

In one example of the technique (Example 1), a contact medium device for transferring acoustic energy between a transducer and a target transmits an acoustic signal toward a target volume and receives a return acoustic signal returned from at least a portion of the target volume An array of transducer elements; A housing body including a curved section in which arrays of transducer elements are arranged; And an acoustic coupling component comprising a hydrogel material, wherein the acoustic signal is operable to be conducted between a transducer element disposed in the housing body and a receiving medium in contact with the acoustic coupling element to propagate the acoustic signal toward the target volume Wherein the acoustic coupling component can be adapted to the receiving medium and the transducer element such that there is an acoustic impedance match between the receiving medium and the transducer element.

Example 2 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a flexible bracket coupled to the housing body and movable relative to the housing body, wherein the acoustic coupling element is attached to the flexible bracket.

Example 3 comprises the apparatus of Example 1, and the hydrogel material comprises polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).

Example 4 comprises the apparatus of Example 1, and the hydrogel material comprises polyacrylamide (PAA).

Example 5 comprises the apparatus of Example 4, and the hydrogel material comprises an alginate.

Example 6 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the acoustic coupling component comprises an outer lining at least partially surrounding the hydrogel material.

Example 7 includes the device of Example 1 and the acoustic coupling component can be operated to propagate the acoustic signal with an attenuation factor of 0.1 dB / MHz ² cm cm or less, or an impedance of 1.5 MRayls or less.

Example 8 includes the apparatus of Example 1, and the acoustically-coupled component can be stretched% to 1000% or more, or it includes a shear modulus of 1 MPa.

Example 9 comprises the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the target volume comprises a biological construct of a living subject, and the receiving medium comprises an anatomical structure of a living subject.

Example 10 includes the device of Example 9 wherein the curved section of the housing body includes a curvature that facilitates complete contact with the anatomical structure such that the acoustically-coupled component is in direct contact with the skin of the anatomical structure.

Example 11 includes the device of Example 10, and the anatomical structure includes hair on the skin's outer side.

Example 12 includes an apparatus of Example 9 wherein the anatomical structure includes a neck, a knee joint, a hip, an ankle joint, an elbow joint, a shoulder joint, an abdomen, a chest, or a head including a breast, an arm, a leg, and a throat do.

Example 13 includes the device of Example 9, wherein the biological construct comprises a cancerous or noncancerous tumor, an internal lesion, a connective tissue spleen, a tissue rupture, or a bone.

Example 14 includes the device of Example 9, wherein the subject includes a human or non-human animal.

Example 15 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the curved section of the housing body comprises a semicircular geometry.

Example 16 includes the apparatus of Example 1, wherein the curved section of the housing body comprises a 360 degree circular geometry and the array of transducer elements is arranged along a 360 degree circular section of the housing body.

Example 17 comprises the device of Example 16, wherein the 360 ° circular section of the housing body and the acoustically-coupled component provide a curvature to help complete contact around the anatomical structure of a living subject, May be operable to receive a returning acoustic signal from a target volume so that the data communication acoustic imaging system is capable of producing a 360 degree image of the target volume.

Example 18 includes the apparatus of Example 1 wherein the apparatus is included in an interior compartment of the housing body and communicates with an array of transducer elements to select one or more transducer elements of the array for transmitting individual acoustic waveforms, Further comprising a multiplexing unit for selecting one or more transducer elements of the array to receive.

In one example of the technique (Example 19), the acoustic waveform system includes a waveform generating unit, a sound signal transmitting contact medium, a multiplexing unit, and a controller unit. The waveform generating unit includes at least one waveform synthesizer coupled to the waveform generator and the waveform generating unit includes a plurality of individual waveform generators corresponding to the different frequency bands generated by the one or more waveform synthesizers in accordance with the waveform information provided by the waveform generators And the respective orthogonally coded waveforms may correspond to mutually orthogonal and different frequency bands with respect to each other, such that each of the respective orthogonally coded waveforms And includes a specific frequency having a corresponding phase. The acoustic signal transmission contact medium comprises: a housing body including a curved section in which transducer elements are arranged; An array of transducer elements for transmitting acoustic waveforms corresponding to individual orthogonally coated waveforms toward a target volume and for receiving a returning acoustic waveform returned from at least a portion of a target volume; And an acoustic coupling component operable to conduct acoustic waves between a transducer element disposed within the housing body and a receiving medium in contact with the acoustic coupling component, the acoustic coupling component comprising a hydrogel material, Such acoustic coupling components may be adapted to the receiving medium and the transducer elements such that there is an acoustic impedance match between the receiving medium and the transducer element. The multiplexing unit may be operable to communicate with the array of transducer elements and to select an array of one or more transducer elements for transforming the respective orthogonal coded waveforms into corresponding acoustic waveforms, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > a < / RTI > The controller unit communicating with the waveform generating unit and the multiplexing unit comprises a processing unit for processing the received returning acoustic waveform to generate a data set comprising information about at least a portion of the target volume.

Example 20 includes the system of Example 19, wherein the received acoustic waveform received by the array of transducer elements of the acoustic signal transmission media is received as a received composite waveform comprising information about at least a portion of the target volume, To-digital (A / D) converter for converting the digital signal into a digital format.

Example 21 further comprises a system of Example 19, further comprising a user interface unit in communication with the controller unit.

Example 22 includes the system of Example 19, wherein the generated data set includes at least a portion of the image of the target volume.

Example 23 includes the system of Example 19 wherein the acoustic signal transmission contact medium comprises a flexible bracket coupled to the housing body and movable relative to the housing body and the acoustic coupling component is attached to the flexible bracket.

Example 24 comprises the system of Example 23, wherein the hydrogel material comprises at least one of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylamide (PAA), or PAA having alginate.

Example 25 comprises the system of Example 19, wherein the curved section of the housing body of the acoustic signal transmission contact medium comprises a semicircular geometric shape, or the acoustic signal transmission medium is arranged such that the array of transducer elements is arranged along a 360 [ The curvilinear section of the housing body of the transmission contact medium comprises a 360 degree circular geometry.

Example 26 comprises the system of Example 25, wherein the 360 ° circular section of the housing body and the acoustically-coupled component provide a curvature for assisting complete contact around the anatomical structure of a living subject, the apparatus comprising: To be able to produce a 360 ° image of the volume, the device can be operated to receive a returning acoustic waveform from the target volume.

In one example (Example 27) of the technique, a method for generating an acoustic waveform using an acoustic impedance matched contact medium comprises: synthesizing one or more composite waveforms to be transmitted toward the target in one or more waveform synthesizers Wherein the composite waveform is formed of a plurality of individual orthogonally coded waveforms corresponding to mutually orthogonal and different frequency bands with respect to each other so that each of the respective orthogonally coded waveforms has a specific frequency having a corresponding phase Comprising a synthesis step; Transmitting one or more complex acoustic waveforms comprising a plurality of acoustic waveforms from one or more transmission locations for a target using an array of transducer elements of the acoustic signal transmission medium, Selecting one or more transform elements of the array to transform the quadrature coded waveform into a plurality of corresponding acoustic waveforms of each of the one or more complex acoustic waveforms; And receiving a returning acoustic waveform returned from at least a portion of the target corresponding to the transmitted acoustic waveform at one or more receive locations for the target, the method comprising: selecting at least some of the transducer elements of the array for receiving the return acoustic waveform Wherein each of the transmission position and the receiving position includes (i) a spatial position of the array of transducer elements with respect to the target and / or (ii) a beam phase center position of the array, and wherein the acoustic signal transmission contact The medium includes an acoustic coupling component comprising a hydrogel material operable to conduct an acoustic waveform between a transducer element and a receiving medium in contact with the acoustically coupled component, the acoustic impedance matching between the receiving medium and the transducer element The acoustic coupling component can be adapted to the receiving medium and the transducer element, and the transmission The generated acoustic waveform and the returned acoustic waveform generate an enlarged effective aperture.

Example 28 includes the method of Example 27 and further comprises the step of processing the received returned acoustic waveform to produce an image of at least a portion of the target.

As noted above, some of the disclosed embodiments include hydrogels formed from one or more polymerizable materials and can be used in a variety of applications, including tomographic imaging, ultrasound imaging of large apertures, and specific three-dimensional shapes for use in therapeutic ultrasound To an acoustic coupling medium that can be conformed or molded.

The hydrogel material mostly contains water, so that the acoustic wave speed of the hydrogel is dominated by water. The acoustic wave velocity in water is roughly proportional to temperature through a high-order empirically-determined polynomial relationship from 0 to 100 ° C. The acoustic wave velocity of pure water varies from 1482 m / s to 1524 m / s from 20 ° C to 37 ° C, respectively. Accordingly, the acoustic wave velocity within the polymeric material will vary with temperature.

By using the material having a calibrated acoustic wave speed in combination with a delay-and-sum beamformer, the propagation time at the time of transmission and reception is corrected, so that an image Distortion can be reduced. For example, if you do not know the average acoustic wave velocity between the array and the bone, the location of the structure, such as the tissue-bone interface, is ambiguous. The true position of the bone may be deeper or shallower than that measured in an ultrasound image.

The material having a temperature calibrated acoustic wave velocity may be heated to provide a more comfortable interface to the patient without creating image distortion. In addition to the comfort of the patient, the heated material also supports increased blood flow within and around the area of contact with the patient, thereby facilitating more accurate Doppler measurements. Materials with calibrated acoustic wave velocities will also function optimally at a target temperature (e.g., 37 DEG C) or a target temperature range (e.g., 20 to 37 DEG C).

A thermocouple, thermistor, fiber optic thermometer or other temperature sensing device can be inserted into the hydrogel to provide real-time temperature feedback. In addition, the gel may be heated using wires, resistors, thermocouples, currents, infrared rays, water pipes, conduction, or other means for heating the hydrogels. The temperature of the hydrogel can be precisely and accurately controlled using temperature feedback and control devices.

The disclosed acoustic coupling medium may be used in an acoustic imaging, range-Doppler measurement, and treatment system to deliver an acoustic waveform that is emitted and returned between a receiving medium such as a living organ tissue and such an acoustic system.

In some embodiments of the disclosed acoustically-coupled technology, for example, the hydrogel acoustic coupling media of the present technology provides spatially-variable acoustic absorption for use with acoustic imaging, diagnostic and / or therapeutic devices or systems Tomographic imaging of such acoustic devices and systems, ultrasound imaging arrays of large apertures, and therapeutic ultrasound arrays. In some embodiments of the disclosed technique, the hydrogel acoustic coupling medium couples acoustic waves from the acoustic energy source into the hydrogel acoustic coupling medium and subsequently into the secondary medium at an acoustic sound velocity ranging from 1400 m / s to 1700 m / s . Examples of secondary media include, but are not limited to, mammalian tissue and water. Secondary media may include structures having sonic speeds outside the sonic range of the binding medium, such as bone, implanted devices, plastics, ceramics, glass, and metals.

In practical applications of ultrasound imaging, in particular for imaging human and non-human animals, ultrasound imaging typically occurs at close range of acoustic emission openings, which may require several things to achieve in obtaining high resolution and quality ultrasound images It poses a challenge. For example, in such an ultrasonic imaging application, generally, one or more transducer elements are included in the acoustic imaging device to form an array to create acoustic apertures. These transducer elements typically require several wavelengths for a change from near to far system after acoustical emission and therefore require acoustic damping areas also known as acoustic standoffs. For example, such an acoustic buffer area or acoustic standoff may be required to form an image close to the acoustic aperture. Focused image formation is also typically performed by, for example, for a point of image formation that is closest to the acoustic aperture, the ratio of the focal depth divided by the aperture size (e.g., also known as f-number) is greater than 1 . Similarly, acoustic standoff is necessary for image formation close to the acoustic aperture to satisfy the f-number condition.

In embodiments of the disclosed technique, image formation is generated using a combination of transducer elements, and a selected group of transducer elements is coupled to an acoustic transducer for receiving a return acoustic echo on a same, and / Is used to generate emissions. For example, a transducer element that produces acoustical emission is referred to as a transmission element. Similarly, a transducer element that receives a return acoustic echo is referred to as a receive element. In some examples, the combination may be divided into a combination of the transmitting element and the individual pairs of receiving elements such that a linear combination of pairs when obtained using a combination of one or more elements in both transmitting and receiving produces an approximately equivalent image . For example, each time sample of a recorded echo from a pair of a transmitting element and a receiving element is an integral of acoustic reflectivity over a corresponding one-week time or time delay, corresponding to a time sample. Such an integral is a linear integration over a linear path of constant one-week time or time delay. The linear path may be circular or elliptical, as determined by the location of the transmitting element and the receiving element pair. Indeed, for example, a circular or elliptical path may be formed by, but is not limited to, an acoustic coupling medium and an interface between the acoustic coupling material and a low acoustic impedance material, such as, for example, air or plastic, To a high-reflection interface that includes an interface between high acoustic impedance material, such as, for example,

Acoustic reflection from the interface, also known as regular reflection, contaminates the line integral of reflectivity and the corresponding echo samples obtained from the transmission and reception combinations. Generally, in the case of acoustic reflection observed for a combination of a transmitting element and a receiving element, the incident angle measured from the transmitting element to the point on the reflective interface to the surface vertical vector for the point lying on the reflective interface is the same vertical vector To the vector defined by the point on the reflective interface to the receiving element. Acoustic reflection can have mirror symmetry or amphichiral symmetry. The acoustic reflection has a power equal to the acoustic impedance of the acoustic impedance subtractive coupling medium of the secondary medium divided by the acoustic impedance of the secondary medium plus the acoustic impedance of the coupling medium, as described in equation (1).

Contamination caused by acoustic reflection can preclude the use of transmission and reception combinations in the beamformer based on delayed and summed echo samples, also known as delay-and-sum beamformers. Such exclusion of echo samples may result in the elimination of transmission and reception combinations from the delay-and-sum beam former, thereby limiting the quality of the image pixels corresponding to the delay-and-sum beamformer. The picture pixel quality depends on a limited set of point-spread-functions of the transmit and receive combinations. The exclusion of such echo samples may also reduce the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the picture pixels. Additionally, in the case of an aperture with an array pitch greater than half a wavelength, the image pixel position requiring a transmitter and receiver combination to steer away from the zero degree (0 [deg.]) will become more and more dependent on the grating lobe. Such a grating lobe increases the sensitivity and complexity of specular reflection.

The acoustic coupling media of the disclosed technology may be constructed in an acoustic contact media device and may be configured to transmit acoustic signals to a transducer element and acoustic coupling media disposed within the housing body of the contact media device to propagate the acoustic signal toward the target volume And may be operable to conduct acoustic signals between a receiving medium (i.e., a secondary medium, e.g., a subject's skin). The disclosed acoustical coupling media may be adapted to a target volume such that there is an acoustic impedance match (e.g., a very small reflection) between the receiving medium and the transducer element.

The disclosed acoustic coupling medium is configured to have a three-dimensional shape. In some examples of the disclosed acoustically-coupling media, for example, the acoustic-coupling media may be used for specific implementation equipment, for example, for a tomographic acoustic imaging, acoustical imaging of a large aperture, and / Dimensional shape. In one exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, acoustical coupling media 505A includes the shape of a tube having an inner radius, an outer radius, and a height. The tubular acoustical coupling media 505A comprises a hydrogel which comprises one or more polymerizable materials and which can be conformed or molded to a specific three-dimensional shape for the desired application. The radius and height of the acoustic coupling medium 505A may vary based on each application. For example, due to the elasticity and tensile strength of the binding medium 505A, the tubular shape is flexible and can be applied to the periphery of a secondary medium of irregular shape, such as the limbs of a non- Can be stretched. As shown in FIG. 5A, the acoustic coupling medium 505A is attached to the housing main body 501 of the acoustic contact medium device. When placed in contact with an object, the bonding medium 505A may also be in contact with the secondary skin of the object, such as, for example, around an irregular structure such as an elbow or knee, Acoustic coupling medium 505A is configured to maintain contact.

Additionally, the tubular binding media may be used in conjunction with a tomographic imaging aperture in the range of 0 to 360 degrees around a secondary medium, e.g., a limb, trunk, head, etc., of the subject, while simultaneously maintaining acoustical contact over the entire aperture and secondary media. ≪ / RTI > With the force applied, a constant contact can be maintained, with the movement of the opening on the bonding medium. For example, in the case of a tomographic opening having a polygonal shape, the flexible bonding medium, including between the polygonal faces, maintains contact over the entire surface of the opening. An exemplary tubular shape of acoustic coupling media 505A can be molded to match any three dimensional shape of the opening, including a polygonal shape. For example, in the case of a tomographic opening of less than 360 degrees, the exemplary tubular acoustical coupling media 505A does not have a highly reflective air interface at the sharp edges that may exist in the case of coupling media extending only over the apertures . At the edge of the aperture, the transmission and reception combination can function unlimitedly by the tubular coupling media 505A, thus eliminating the combination from the beam former. The reflective air interface extending around the entire coupling medium maintains a primary reflection and wide angle internally reflected about acoustic coupling medium 505A, which is where it is attenuated and eventually becomes non-coherent acoustic noise.

5B shows another arrangement of an exemplary tubular acoustically coupling media 505A disposed in contact with a body portion of an object to be compliant with full contact with a secondary medium. The exemplary arrangement shown in FIG. 5B provides the ability for inner reflections to be further destroyed by one or more gaps in the tubular acoustic coupling media 505A.

Figure 5c illustrates another exemplary embodiment of acoustic coupling media 505C that includes acoustic damping regions within one or more portions of the hydrogel and hydrogel. For example, in a sound transfer operation, the internal reflection may be absorbed by the acoustic attenuation region in the tubular acoustic coupling media 505C. For example, such attenuation can be obtained through absorption or scattering, or both. Acoustic attenuation zones can be structured to include one or more of higher density polymers, larger absorption polymers, scatterers, microbubbles, microballoons, plastics, rubber, or other absorbing materials.

Figure 5d shows another exemplary embodiment of an acoustic coupling medium 505D comprising a hydrogel and being configured to be convertible into a tubular shape in a flat configuration. For example, a tubular shape may be defined as a (e.g., And may be formed as a rectangular block of acoustic coupling media 505D wound around a secondary medium. The wound binding media may be trimmed using a cutting device and may be formed using any suitable method, including, for example, but not limited to, straps, velcro, buttons, zippers, latches, grippers, or some other mechanical attachment device, Can be attached to the end-to-end using an attachment device. Figure 5e shows an example of a shape-deformable acoustic coupling medium 505D that conforms to the periphery of the subject's body part and is attached to the end accessible by the attachment element.

In addition to the tubular shape, the acoustic coupling medium may be shaped into a partial tubular shape of less than 360 degrees in the transverse plane, and as shown in Figure 5f, the acoustic coupling medium may be formed from a secondary medium of the object, , The limbs of the subject, the trunk, the head, etc., and may extend to the boundary of the opening or beyond the boundary. Figure 5f illustrates another exemplary embodiment of acoustically coupling media 505F comprised of a partially tubular shape that includes a hydrogel and is less than 360 degrees conformed to the body portion of the subject. The acoustic coupling medium is shown in Figure 5f as being attached to the body housing 101 of the acoustic contact medium device.

In some embodiments of the acoustic coupling media, the partial tubular acoustic coupling media 505F may be structured to include acoustic attenuation regions within one or more portions of the acoustic coupling media. As shown in FIG. 5G, the acoustic coupling media 505G includes two acoustic damping regions located at the ends of the hydrogel and the partially tubular shape to provide acoustic damping properties to the acoustic coupling media 505G .

In various embodiments of the disclosed acoustical coupling media, the hydrogel may comprise one or more polymerizable materials that are polymerized in the presence of water into a hydrophilic gel formed into a natural or synthetic network of polymer chains. Examples of such polymerizable materials include, but are not limited to, polymeric and polymeric derivatives, alginates, agarose, sodium alginate, chitosan, starch, hydroxyethyl starch, dextran, glucan, gelatin, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (NIPAAm), poly (vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly (acrylic acid) (PAA), acrylate polymers, polyacrylamide PAM), poly (hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA), poly (2-propenamide), poly (1-carbamoylethylene), and poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate) . In manufacturing techniques for producing hydrogels, the polymerisable material may comprise several processes that may include toxic or non-toxic chemical compounds, ultraviolet light, illumination, toxic or nontoxic solvents, temperature cycling, and freeze- Lt; / RTI > In some embodiments for producing hydrogels, due to the absence of potentially toxic compounds, polymerization of the hydrogel through freeze-thaw cycling can be performed.

For example, hydrogels include a material structure that allows acoustic signal propagation at 20 ° C with an attenuation factor of 1.0 dB / MHz / cm or less, an impedance of less than 2.0 MRayls, and a longitudinal sound velocity of less than or equal to 1,700 m / s can do. The acoustic coupler 105 is designed to have a 100% or greater percent elongation, a density range of 1.00 to 1.20 g / cm ³ , a shear modulus of less than 1 MPa, and melting and freezing points close to 70 캜 and -5 캜, respectively. For example, the hydrogel material may be at least 90% water and may have a pH of ~ 7.0.

In some embodiments of the acoustically coupled media, the hydrogel may be a polymeric poly (vinyl alcohol) polymer, such as, for example, water, or an equivalent solvent, and a biocompatible polymerisation process for biocompatible polymers and polymers, through an exemplary polymerization process of freeze- ) ≪ / RTI > (PVA). For example, it may be used to add other ingredients such as a solvent (such as ethyl alcohol or dimethyl sulfoxide) and / or other polymers (such as alginate or gelatin) to these exemplary PVA hydrogels, Because the component can be used to improve the mechanical or acoustic properties. For example, participating in one or more bacteriological chemicals with sufficient concentration and compatibility with the integrity of the hydrogel may maintain sterility of the hydrogel during storage and use. Despite other mechanical, acoustical, and biologically equivalent formulations, the use of hydrogels for their acoustical properties, their high tensile strength, and their elasticity due to the high water content of the hydrogel is advantageous for the disclosed acoustical coupling media Feature. Sonic velocity and acoustic attenuation of the hydrogel can be controlled by changing the polymer concentration, water concentration, additional solvent concentration, degree of polymerization, polymerization method, and the inclusion of additional materials such as a scattering and / or acoustic absorbing material .

In one embodiment, for example, the hydrogel comprises PVA in a weight ratio of 1 to 10% and H ₂ O in a weight ratio of 90 to 99%. The hydrogel is cross-linked through the application of 1 to 10 controlled freeze-thaw cycles circulating in the range of -40 ° C to 70 ° C.

In another embodiment, for example, the hydrogel comprises PVA in a weight ratio of 1 to 10%, DMSO in a weight ratio of 1 to 10%, and H ₂ O in a weight ratio of 80 to 98%. The hydrogel is cross-linked through the application of 1 to 10 controlled freeze-thaw cycling circulating in the range of -40 캜 to 70 캜.

In another embodiment, for example, the hydrogel comprises PVA in a weight ratio of 4 to 10%, PVP in a weight ratio of 1 to 5%, DMSO in a weight ratio of 1 to 10%, and H ₂ O in a weight ratio of 75 to 94% . The hydrogel is cross-linked through the application of 1 to 10 controlled freeze-thaw cycling circulating in the range of -40 캜 to 70 캜.

In another embodiment, for example, the hydrogel may comprise PVA in a weight ratio of 4 to 10%, PVP in a weight ratio of 1 to 5%, polyethylene glycol in a weight ratio of 1 to 5%, and H ₂ O < / RTI > The hydrogel is cross-linked through the application of 1 to 10 controlled freeze-thaw cycling circulating in the range of -40 캜 to 70 캜.

In another embodiment, for example, the hydrogel comprises PVA in a weight ratio of 4 to 10%, PVP in a weight ratio of 1 to 5%, sodium tetraborate in a weight ratio of 1 to 5%, and H ₂ < / RTI > The borate ion reacts with the hydroxyl group to cross-link the polymer. The mixture is maintained at a constant temperature during the cross-linking.

FIG. 6 shows a three-dimensional schematic view of an exemplary acoustic coupling medium 505 formed in various shapes, sizes, and configurations. In one example, the acoustic coupling media 505A 'may be configured to have a shape similar to a half cylinder with a 180 ° curvature and a diameter and depth, which may be modified to conform to a particular receiving body, . In this example, the acoustic coupling medium 505A 'may be configured to have a volume of 3.15 L, in which the acoustic coupling medium 505A' is held in any conforming configuration. In another example, the acoustic coupling medium 105B 'is configured to have a cylindrical shape with a diameter and depth designed to an initial size, which can be modified to conform to a particular receiving body. In this example, the acoustic coupling medium 105B 'may be configured to have a volume of 5.75L. In another example, acoustic coupling media 505C ', 505D', 105E ', and 505F' are configured to have a semi-cylindrical shape similar to a half donut with a 180 ° curvature and an initial outer diameter and depth designed to an initial size , The initial inner diameters of the acoustic coupling media 505C ', 505D', 105E ', and 505F' are designed with different sizes (e.g., 40, 80, 120, and 160 mm respectively) For example, to be adapted to a particular receiving body, such as around the subject's arms, legs, neck, and the like. In this example, the acoustic coupling media 505C ', 505D', 105E ', and 505F' may be configured to have a volume of 3.0 L, 2.75 L, 2.3 L, and 1.7 L, respectively.

7A-7C show schematic views of an exemplary embodiment of acoustic coupling media 505D and 505A, which are characterized by a three-dimensional view, a front view, and a side view. As shown in Fig. 7A, the acoustic coupling medium 505D may be a tubular curved (e.g., rectangular) tube that can be wrapped around a secondary medium of interest and secured by attachment of attachment components on each end of the hydrogel And a hydrogel formed into a shape. 7A shows a three-dimensional schematic view of the attachment component and the hydrogel of the currently disassembled acoustic coupling medium 505D, and the right-hand diagram of FIG. 7A shows a hydro- 3 shows a transparent three-dimensional schematic view of the gel. In the example shown in FIG. 7A, the attachment component is structured to include a curved base portion having a size adapted to the initial size of the depth of the hydrogel and having the same circular curvature as the hydrogel of the tubular configuration. The attachment component is structured to include one or more sets of opposing projecting structures on the inner surface of the base portion that can penetrate into the hydrogel to fix the hydrogel in a tubular shape. FIG. 7B shows a transparent front view and a transparent side view of an acoustic coupling medium 505D having an attachment component secured to a hydrogel.

Figure 7C shows an acoustic coupling media 505A comprising a hydrogel constructed in a 360 ° tubular curved shape. The left drawing shows a three-dimensional schematic view of the acoustic coupling medium 505A, the middle view shows a front view of the acoustic coupling medium 505A, and the right diagram shows a side view of the acoustic coupling medium 505A. 7C, in this example, acoustic coupling media 505A includes an oblique edge positioned at an interface between an outer circular planar surface and an outer curved surface, as well as an outer circular planar surface and an inner curvilinear surface As shown in FIG. For example, the oblique edge can provide easier and more reliable loading and unloading of the coupling media 505A into and out of the bracket of the acoustic contact media device or other holder.

8 illustrates a set of operations that may be performed to generate an acoustic waveform using an acoustic impedance matched contact medium according to an exemplary embodiment. At 802, in one or more waveform synthesizers, one or more composite waveforms are synthesized to be transmitted toward the target. The composite waveform is formed of a plurality of individual orthogonally coated waveforms, each of which is orthogonal to one another and comprises a specific frequency, each of the respective orthogonally coated waveform corresponding to different frequency bands having a corresponding phase. At 804, one or more complex acoustic waveforms are transmitted for a target from one or more transmission locations using an array of transducer elements of the acoustic signal transmission medium. Wherein the one or more complex acoustic waveforms comprise a plurality of acoustic waveforms and the transmission comprises converting a plurality of respective orthogonal coded waveforms of each of the one or more complex waveforms to a plurality of corresponding acoustic waveforms of each one or more complex acoustic waveforms And selecting one or more of the transform elements of the array. At 806, at one or more receive locations for the target, a return acoustic waveform is received that is recovered from at least a portion of the target corresponding to the transmitted acoustic waveform. The reception of the returned acoustic waveform includes selecting at least a portion of the transducer elements of the array for receiving the returning acoustic waveform. In performing the above-described operations, each of the transmit and receive positions includes (i) the spatial position of the array of transducer elements with respect to the target and / or (ii) the beam phase center position of the array. The acoustic signal transmission contact medium also includes acoustic coupling components comprising a hydrogel material operable to conduct acoustic waves between a transducer element and a receiving medium in contact with the acoustic coupling component. Acoustic coupling components may be adapted to the receiving medium and the transducer elements such that there is an acoustic impedance match between the receiving medium and the transducer element. The transmitted acoustic waveform and the returned acoustic waveform produce an enlarged effective aperture.

Implementations and functional operations of the claimed subject matter described in this patent document may be implemented in various systems, digital electronic circuits, or in computer software, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed herein and structural equivalents thereof, It can be implemented in hardware. Implementations of the claimed subject matter described herein may be implemented as one or more computer program products encoded on a type of non-transitory computer readable medium for execution by a data processing apparatus or for controlling the operation of a data processing apparatus, That is, as a module of one or more computer program instructions. The computer-readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter that affects machine readable propagated signals, Lt; / RTI > The term "data processing equipment" includes, by way of example, a programmable processor, a computer, or any device, apparatus, and machine for processing data, including multiple processors or computers. In addition to hardware, such equipment may be configured with code that creates an execution environment for the computer program being discussed, e.g., processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, Which may be included in the < / RTI >

A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) may be written in any form of programming language, including a compiled or interpreted language, Routines, or other units suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program essentially does not correspond to a file in the file system. The program may be stored as a single file dedicated to the program discussed in a portion of the file holding the other program or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), or as a number of coordinated files (e.g., A module, a subprogram, or a file that stores a portion of the code). A computer program may be deployed on one computer or in one location or distributed over multiple locations and run on multiple computers interconnected by a communications network.

The process and logic flow described herein may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating an output. The process and logic flow may also be performed by a special purpose logic circuit, for example, an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), and may also be implemented as special purpose logic circuits.

Suitable processors for executing computer programs include, by way of example, both general purpose microprocessors and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive commands and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory, or both. An essential element of a computer is a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. In general, a computer may also be capable of receiving data from one or more mass storage devices for storing data, for example, magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks, Or may be operatively coupled thereto. However, the computer need not have such a device. Computer readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including, for example, semiconductor memory devices such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices. The processor and memory may be supplemented by special purpose logic circuits or may be merged into special purpose logic circuits.

While this patent document contains many specifics, it should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the invention or the scope of the claims, but rather as a description of features which are specific to particular embodiments of the invention . Certain features described in this patent document in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. In addition, one or more features from the claimed combination may, in some cases, be deleted from such a combination, and the claim may be claimed The combination may be related to a variation of a sub-combination or a sub-combination.

Similarly, although the acts are shown in the figures in a particular order, it is to be understood that such acts are performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or that all illustrated acts be performed to achieve the desired result It should not be understood. Also, separation of the various system components within the embodiments described in this patent document should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments.

Some implementations and examples have been described and other implementations, enhancements and modifications may be made based on what is described and illustrated in this patent document.

Claims (47)

A contact medium device for transferring acoustic energy between a transducer and a target, comprising:
An array of transducer elements for transmitting acoustic signals toward a target volume and receiving return acoustic signals returned from at least a portion of the target volume;
A housing body including a curved section in which arrays of transducer elements are arranged; And
An acoustic coupling component comprising a hydrogel material, the acoustic coupling component comprising a transducer element disposed within the housing body and a transducer element operable to conduct between a receiving medium in contact with the acoustic coupling component to propagate the acoustic signal toward the target volume And an acoustic coupling component,
Wherein the acoustically-coupled component can be adapted to the receiving medium and the transducer element such that there is an acoustic impedance match between the receiving medium and the transducer element. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a flexible bracket coupled to the housing body and movable relative to the housing body, wherein the acoustic coupling component is attached to the flexible bracket. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the hydrogel material comprises polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the hydrogel material comprises polyacrylamide (PAA). 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the hydrogel material comprises an alginate. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the acoustic coupling component comprises an outer lining at least partially surrounding the hydrogel material. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the acoustically-coupled component is operable to propagate an acoustic signal with an attenuation factor of less than or equal to 0.1 dB / MHz ² .cm, or an impedance less than or equal to 1.5 MRayls. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the acoustically-coupled component can be stretched by more than 1000% percent, or comprises a shear modulus of 1 MPa. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the target volume comprises a biological entity of a living subject and the receiving medium comprises an anatomical structure of a living subject. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the curved section of the housing body includes a curvature that facilitates complete contact with the anatomical structure such that the acoustically-coupled component is in direct contact with the skin of the anatomical structure. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the anatomical structure comprises hair on the lateral side of the skin. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the anatomical structure includes a neck, a knee joint, a hip, an ankle joint, an elbow joint, a shoulder joint, an abdomen, or a chest, or a head including a breast, an arm, a leg, and a throat. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the biological construct comprises a cancer or non-cancerous tumor, an internal lesion, a connective tissue spleen, a tissue rupture, or a bone. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the subject comprises a human or non-human animal. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the curved section of the housing body comprises a semicircular geometry. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the curved section of the housing body comprises a 360 degree circular geometry and the array of transducer elements is arranged along a 360 degree circular section of the housing body. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the 360 ° circular section of the housing body and the acoustically-coupled component provide a curvature for assisting complete contact around the anatomical structure of a living subject, the apparatus comprising an acoustic imaging system in data communication with the apparatus And to receive a return acoustic signal from the target volume so as to produce a 360 ° image of the target volume. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the multiplexing unit is included in an interior compartment of the housing body and includes at least one transducer of the array for receiving the return acoustic waveform and at least one transducer for selecting the one or more transducer elements of the array for transmitting the respective acoustic waveforms, And communicate with the array of transducer elements to select the elements. An acoustic waveform system is:
A waveform generation unit comprising at least one waveform synthesizer coupled to a waveform generator, the waveform generation unit comprising a plurality of waveform generators corresponding to different frequency bands generated by the at least one waveform synthesizer in accordance with the waveform information provided by the waveform generator Wherein each of the orthogonally coded waveforms corresponds to mutually orthogonal and different frequency bands with respect to each other, such that each of the respective orthogonal coded waveforms corresponds to a corresponding one of the corresponding orthogonal coded waveforms, A waveform generating unit including a specific frequency having a phase;
As acoustic signal transmission medium:
A housing body including a curved section in which transducer elements are arranged;
An array of transducer elements for transmitting acoustic waveforms corresponding to individual orthogonally coated waveforms toward a target volume and for receiving a returning acoustic waveform returned from at least a portion of a target volume; And
The acoustic coupling component being operable to conduct acoustic waves between a transducer element disposed within the housing body and a receiving medium in contact with the acoustic coupling component, Comprising a sound coupling component that can be adapted to the receiving medium and the transducer element such that there is an acoustic impedance match between the transducer elements.
Acoustic signal transmission contact media;
An array of transducer elements for selecting one or more transducer elements for converting the respective orthogonally coded waveforms into corresponding acoustic waveforms and for selecting one or more transducer elements of the array for receiving the returned acoustic waveform, A multiplexing unit for communicating with the base station; And
And a processing unit for processing the received returned acoustic waveform to generate a data set in communication with the waveform generating unit and the multiplexing unit and including information regarding at least a portion of the target volume , system. 20. The method of claim 19,
An analog to digital converter for converting the returned acoustic waveform received by the array of transducer elements of the acoustic signal transmission contact medium into a received composite waveform comprising information about at least a portion of the target volume, (A / D) converter. 20. The method of claim 19,
And a user interface unit in communication with the controller unit. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the generated data set comprises at least a portion of the image of the target volume. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the acoustic signal transmission contact medium further comprises a flexible bracket coupled to the housing body and movable relative to the housing body, wherein the acoustic coupling component is attached to the flexible bracket. 24. The method of claim 23,
Wherein the hydrogel material comprises at least one of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylamide (PAA), or PAA having alginate. 20. The method of claim 19,
Wherein the curved section of the housing body of the acoustic signal transmission contact medium comprises a semicircular geometry or a curved section of the housing body of the acoustic signal transmission contact medium such that the array of transducer elements is arranged along a 360 [ Wherein the section comprises a 360 degree circular geometry. 26. The method of claim 25,
Wherein the 360 ° circular section of the housing body and the acoustically-coupled component provide a curvature for assisting complete contact around an anatomical structure of a living subject, the apparatus comprising: a 360-degree image of the target volume And to receive a returning acoustic waveform from the target volume so as to generate a return acoustic waveform. A method of generating an acoustic waveform using an acoustic impedance matched contact medium, comprising:
In one or more waveform synthesizers, synthesizing one or more composite waveforms to be transmitted toward the target, the composite waveforms being formed of a plurality of individual orthogonally coded waveforms corresponding to mutually orthogonal and different frequency bands with respect to each other , Wherein each of said respective orthogonal coded waveforms comprises a specific frequency having a corresponding phase;
Transmitting one or more complex acoustic waveforms comprising a plurality of acoustic waveforms from one or more transmission locations for the target using an array of transducer elements of the acoustic signal transmission medium, Selecting one or more transform elements of the array to transform respective orthogonal coded waveforms into a plurality of corresponding acoustic waveforms of each of the one or more complex acoustic waveforms; And
Receiving at least one received acoustic waveform returned from at least a portion of a target corresponding to the transmitted acoustic waveform at one or more receive locations for the target, wherein at least some of the array elements of the array for receiving the return acoustic waveform Comprising: receiving,
Wherein each of the transmission position and the reception position includes (i) a spatial position of the array of transducer elements with respect to the target and / or (ii) a beam phase center position of the array,
Wherein the acoustic signal transmission contact medium comprises an acoustic coupling component comprising a hydrogel material operable to conduct acoustic waves between a receiving medium and a transducer element in contact with the acoustic coupling component, The acoustically-coupled component can be adapted to the receiving medium and the transducer element such that there is an acoustic impedance match between the components, and
Wherein the transmitted acoustic waveform and the returned acoustic waveform generate an enlarged effective aperture. 28. The method of claim 27,
Further comprising processing the received returned acoustic waveform to produce an image of at least a portion of the target. Acoustic coupling medium comprising:
A hydrogel comprising one or more polymerizable materials forming a structured network to capture an aqueous fluid inside the hydrogel, said hydrogel being structured to conform to a surface of the receiving body,
The acoustically coupling medium is adapted to conduct acoustic signals between the acoustic signal transducer elements and the receiving medium of the receiving body such that there is an acoustic impedance match between the receiving medium and the acoustic signal transducer elements when the hydrogel contacts the receiving body. The acoustic coupling medium being capable of being actuated. 30. The method of claim 29,
Wherein said at least one polymerizable material is selected from the group consisting of alginate, agarose, sodium alginate, chitosan, starch, hydroxyethyl starch, dextran, glucan, gelatin, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), poly (N- isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAAm), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly (acrylic acid) (PAA), acrylate polymers, polyacrylamide (PAM) (PHEA), poly (2-propenamide), poly (1-carbamoylethylene), or poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA). 30. The method of claim 29,
Wherein the aqueous fluid comprises water. 30. The method of claim 29,
Wherein the hydrogel is structured to conform to and completely contact the surface of the receiving body without forming pockets or voids of air between the acoustic coupling medium and the receiving body. 30. The method of claim 29,
Further comprising an outer lining at least partially surrounding the hydrogel. 30. The method of claim 29,
Wherein the acoustic coupling media can be operated to propagate acoustic signals with an attenuation factor of 1.0 dB / MHz 占 이하 m or less, or an impedance of 2.0 MRayls or less. 30. The method of claim 29,
Said acoustically-bondable medium being capable of being elongated by 100% or more, or comprising a shear modulus of 1 MPa. 30. The method of claim 29,
The receiving body may include a head including a neck, an arm, a leg, a knee joint, a hip, an ankle joint, an elbow joint, a shoulder joint, a wrist joint, a breast, a genitalia, or a skull including abdomen, chest, An acoustic coupling medium comprising an anatomical structure of a living subject. 30. The method of claim 29,
Wherein the hydrogel is structured to have a tubular cylindrical shape comprising a hollow interior having a 360 占 curvature formed between opposing openings on the end surfaces of the tubular cylindrical shape. 30. The method of claim 29,
Wherein the hydrogel is structured to have a half tubular cylindrical shape comprising a curved inner surface and a curved outer surface each having a curvature of 180 degrees between opposite ends of the tubular cylindrical shape. 39. The method of claim 37,
Wherein the hydrogel comprises an acoustic attenuation zone for scattering or absorbing acoustic signals within the attenuation zone, the acoustic attenuation zone comprising a higher density polymer, a scattering material, a microbubble, a microbubble , A plastic material, a rubber material, or an absorbent material. 40. The method of claim 39,
Wherein the scattering material comprises metal or non-metallic particles of a size less than the wavelength. 41. The method of claim 40,
Wherein the scattering material comprises graphite, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, or silver oxide. 40. The method of claim 39,
Wherein the absorbent material comprises silicone, polyurethane, or a polymer. 39. The method of claim 38,
Wherein the hydrogel can be configured in a flat rectangular shape or in a tubular circular shape with opposing ends coupled and including gaps between opposite ends. 44. The method of claim 43,
≪ / RTI > further comprising an attachment component for securely coupling said opposite ends together. 30. The method of claim 29,
The acoustic coupling medium is contained within the acoustic probe,
The acoustic probe apparatus comprises:
An array of acoustic signal transducer elements for transmitting acoustic signals to or from a target volume of the receiving medium and receiving return acoustic signals returned from at least a portion of the target volume; And
A housing body comprising a curved section in which an array of acoustic signal transducer elements are arranged, the acoustically-coupling medium comprising a plurality of acoustic transducer elements, wherein when the receiving body is in contact with a hydrogel of the acoustic coupling medium, The housing body being operable to conduct acoustic signals between an acoustic signal transducer element disposed within the housing body and the receiving medium to propagate the acoustic signal to the acoustic transducer element. 46. The method of claim 45,
Further comprising a flexible bracket coupled to the housing body and movable with respect to the housing body, wherein the acoustic coupling medium is attached to the flexible bracket. 46. The method of claim 45,
Wherein the acoustic probe is comprised within a sound system for use in tomography ultrasonic imaging, ultrasound imaging of large apertures, and therapeutic ultrasound.

Images